Apparatus for covering cores



Dec. 16, 1930. I B. M.' A. TREBES 7 1,785,398

- APPARATUS FORv COVERING CQRES I Filed Oct. 11. 1927 mvemar f Erma 114flakes.

l atented Dec. 16, 1

UNITED STAT rRIc COMPANY, YORK Es "PATENT OFFICE BRUNO MAX ALFRED..rREBEs, OE BERWYN, ILLINOIS, A'ssIGNoR 'ro' wEsrERN LEG INcoRrORA'rEI),or NEW YORK, N. Y., A coRrORA'rIoNOr EW ArrARArus FOR cOvE INe CORES'Application-filed-ctober 11, 1927. Serial No. 225,458.

' This invention relates to an apparatus for covering cores, and moreparticularly to an apparatus for applying an insulating covering to anelectrical conductor.

Objects of the invention are toprovide an apparatus by which fibers maybe applied directly to a core without preliminarily fabricating thefibers into another form such as spinning them into a yarn. a

The invention contemplates the provision of an apparatus in which aroving ofcotton is separated into its individual fibers which arecarried to the strand or core by a column ofairwhere they are revolveduntil their ends are caught by the fibers already on the core whereuponthey are wrapped about the core with a combing action. After the fibersare applied they are polished on the core to give them a neat andfinished appearance.

It is believed-that a complete understanding of the invention may be hadby reference .to'the following description taken in conj unction withthe accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectionalview of the apparatus;

3-3 of Fig. 1'

I fin Fig. 3,' and Flg. 2 1s a cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 ofFig. 1; s

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line Fig. 4 is a mddified formof the parts shown 13-13 driven by any suitable source of power at aspeed which determines theamount of'material fed into'the ap aratus andtherefore the thickness of the firous covering on thestrand. Thematerial passes from the feed rolls 13 into a separating chamber 14 inwhich a separating wheel 15 having aplurality of paddle arms isrotatably mounted A pair of oppositely spaced arms 16 are provided witha plurality of pins upon their ends which upon the rapid rotation of thewheel 15 serve to separate some of the fibers upon each rotation whichare then further separated and scattered by the remaining arms of thewheel. From the separating chamber 14 the fibers are carried by acurrent of air created by a fan 17 into a funnel 18 from where thefibers are delivered into a rotating housing of the machine indicatedgenerally at 21.

. The rotating housing of the machine which may be driven by a gear 19from any suitable source of power is mounted in a bearing 22 supportedby the frame (not shown) of the machine. The rotatable housing 21 isprovided with a rectangular aperture 24 in which an applicator andpolishing unit, consisting of a removable section 25 which carries anapplicator 26 and a polisher 27, is mounted. When the removable section25 is in place in the machine a ring 29 is forced by a spring '30 over-aportion of the aperture to hold the section 25 firmly in place.

The applicator 26 is mounted in a cylindrical opening of the section 25and comprises a plurality of-cylindrical combs 33 mounted on across-shaped support 23 having a central opening arranged in raduatedsizes from the outer comb having t e largest diameter and greatestheight to the inner comb having the smallest diameter and least height.The combs may be made of woven wire of a fine mesh in whichthe'longitudinal wires project above the-uppermost horizontal wireforming a plurality of pin-like projections which constitute in effect acircular comb. Immediately underneath the applicator, the polisher 27 islocated which com- ,prises a pair of blocks 34 having'grooves on theiradjoining surfaces which form a cir- .cular aperture through which thecovered core 60 is drawn. v The blocks 34 are held in place by pans 'ofparallel hinges 35 which maintain the surfaces of the blocks parallel atall times. The hinges on the opposite sides of a block are connected bya web 36 so that the upper face of the olisher presents a substantlally'eontinuous at surface. The polisher blocks 34 are urged upwardlyagainst the covered core by means of a pair of springs 38.

Underneath the removable section 25 a stufiing box 41 is provided havinga hollow channel 42 on its interior surface which connects with theinterior of the rotatable portion of the machine through apertures 43,allowing the fan 17 which is connected to the hollow ring to maintain acurrent of air through the entire apparatus.

A modified form of polisher is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in whichthepolisher blocks 44 are mounted in a polisher cylinder 45 having aconical opening therein. The 'blocks are urged upwardly by a spring 46tending to hold them in firm engagement with the conductor.

. The operation of the apparatus is as follows The conductor 60 may begiven a thin coating of molten rubber or the like to render it slightlysticky in starting the applying op.- eration. This isdone only when anew conductoris placed in the machine and need not be repeated everytime the machine is stopped. A roving or sliver of cotton, silk orasbestos fibers is then fed between the rolls 13 and is delivered in theseparating chamber 14 where the sliver is completely .separated into itsindividual fibers. From the separating chamber 14 the fibers are carriedinto the funnel 18 by the current of air maintained through theapparatus by means of the fan 17 depositing them in the applicator 26which is 1'0- tated at a high velocity. When the'fibers come in contactwith the rapidity rotating combs 33 a similar motion is imparted to thefibers until their ends are caught by the ends of the fibers already onthe core when the fibers will be drawn through the comb and wrapped uponthe core. Afterthe fibers have been wrapped upon the core, the core isdrawn downwardly by any suitable 'means (not shown) between the polisherblocks 34 which complete thewrappmg of the ends of the fibers and givethe covering a neat and finished appearance.

It will be understood that the invention herein described andillustrated is merely a useful and convenient form of the inventionwhich is capable of many other modifications without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.-

What is claimed is 1. In an apparatus for applying a fibrous covering toa core, means for feeding fibrous material to the apparatus at apredetermined rate, a wheel having a plurality of paddles and providedwith pins on one of the paddles for separating the fibrous material intoindividual fibers, and means for applying the fibers to the core.

- 2. In an apparatus for applying a fibrous covering to a' strand, meansfor conveying fibers to the strand, and a rotatable member separatedfibers,

*in the housin having a plurality of circular combs for applying thefibers to the strand.

3. In an apparatus for applying a fibrous covering to a strand, meansfor conveying the fibers to the strand, a rotatable member surroundingthe strand, a circularcomb mounted in the rotatable member, and secondcircular comb larger than the first mentioned comb and surrounding thelatter, said combs cooperating with the rotatable member to apply thefibers. f

4. In an apparatus for applying a fibrous covering to a strand, meansfor feeding a roving of fibrous material to the apparatus,

covering toa strand, means for conveying. fibers to the strand,means.for applying the.

fibers 'to the strand, a plurality of grooved blocks for polishing thefibers on the strand, and a pair of parallel hinges for each of saidblocks to maintain them parallel with respect to each other.

6. In an apparatus for-applying a fibrous covering to a strand, astationary portion for supplying separated fibers, a rotatable portionhaving an aperture therein, and a removable section carrying the fiberapplying mechanism adapted to be inserted in said aperture.

7. In an apparatus for applying a fibrous covering to a strand, meansfor sup lying a rotatable portion or applying the fibers havinganaperture therein, a removable section adapted to be inserted 'insaidaperture, and means for retaining the removable section in position. a8. In an apparatus for applymg a fibrous covering to a core, a cham erfor receiving separated fibers, a rotatable housing connected therewith,a plurality of circular combsof diflferent diameters mounted withandrotatable therewith for combing the bers, and suction means connectedwith the rotatable housing for causing a current of air to convey thefibers from the chamber through the lurality of combs and to apply thecombed fibers to a core passing throughthe chamber, the combs and thehousing. A

,9. In an apparatus for applying a' fibrous covering to a core, an.applicator unit, a ro-.

tatable supporting member having 'an aperture for receiving saidapplicator unit, and means for removably securing said applicator unitin the aperture in said rotatable supportin member.

10. 11 an apparatus for applying-a fibrous covering to a core, anapplicator unit, a rotatable supporting member having an aperture forreceiving said applicator unit, and spring means for removably securingsaid applicator unit in the aperture in said rotatable supportingmember.

11. In an apparatus for applying a fibrous covering to a core, aolishing unit, a rotata-- ble supporting mem er having an aperture forreceiving said polishing unit, and spring means for removably securingsaid polishing unit in the aperture in said rotatable supporting member.

12. In an apparatus for applying a fibrous covering to a core, anapplicator unit adapted to receive a core, polishing blocks disposed insaid applicator unit adjacent thecore, a

rotatable supporting member having an aperture for receiving saidapplicator unit, and

means for removably securing said applicator unit in the aperture insaid rotatable supporting member.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my 7name this 29th day ofSeptember, A. D.

192 o Y5 BRUNO MAX ALFRED TREBES.

